Aftermath | Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 21

Sebastian and I walk hand in hand as the sun is setting, heading towards Hogsmeade. "Is Hogsmeade our destination this evening?"

"Not quite, but I do believe I owe you a new blazer." I smile in response and turn to look at him. But stop to find myself captivated. He looks incredibly handsome during this golden hour. The warm sunset is casting the perfect pink and orange glow across his freckled face. His eyes are a glowing amber, and the red tint in his brown hair is gleaming. "What is it?" He stops as well.

"You're beautiful, Sebastian." He starts laughing at me, but I don't move an inch. "I mean it. I've always thought you were handsome you know, since I saw you in front of the common room fireplace the morning we met." I smile up at him, he's already grinning at me from feeling giddy.

"Of course you did. Look at me, I'm beautiful after all." I push his shoulder. "And an ass!" I say turning to continue walking.

"Nope." He grabs my hand turning me around. "See it's hilarious to me because you are the most pain in the ass, trouble making, brilliant, breathtakingly gorgeous person I've ever met. And to call me beautiful is a joke in comparison to you." He says staring directly into my eyes.

"Yeah, you're right. Look at me." I shrug, mocking his retort, and continue walking. He laughs again at me from behind then catches up, throwing his arm around me and pulling me in close.

It's almost November and our days will start getting colder. I am happy to be going to Gladrags so I can pick up some warmer clothes for the changing weather.

Sebastian insists on paying for my clothes as I bring them up to the register. He won't take no for an answer, so I let him, with a much annoyed look on my face.

"You didn't actually have to do that you know." I say to him as we start walking outside once more. He offers me his arm, which I take without hesitation.

He leans in closely to my ear and whispers, tickling me. "If I buy them, then I won't feel guilty as I rip them off in shreds to bed you." I can feel my whole body heat up at his remark, and I squeeze his arm tighter. He holds onto it with his other hand. "Not yet, we still have a date planned. Speaking of which, I have to run in to the Three Broomsticks. Try not to fight any trolls while I'm gone." He winks at me and I stick my tongue out at him. I can hear Sirona greeting him warmly as he walks inside.

This gives me time to truly take in Hogsmeade around me. It seems most of the time I had been here last year was full of violence and chaos. I take a deep breath, which puffs out of me in clouds as I exhale. After everything I've been through, this feels surreal. It's been a little over one year since the first time I had been here with Sebastian. So much has changed, and yet here I am still standing in this beautiful place with my best friend. Maybe healing from everything that's happened won't be so hard after all.

"Ready?" Sebastian asks from behind me, I turn around to see him holding a small box. I raise an eyebrow at him. "I managed to swipe some butterbeer from Sirona. She made me promise we wouldn't be up to no good. Being up to no good is good for me." He smirks.

"You're the devil. Where are we off to now?" I ask.

"Mind traveling by floo flame? It will get us to where we're going faster." Sebastian asks. I motion in front of us, "Lead the way. I am your charge after all." He smiles at my comment, "That you are indeed."

We walk to the nearest floo flame and he has me grab his hand. When we arrive at our destination, I immediately recognize where we are.

"Lower Hogsfield?" I ask curiously.

"Don't be so anxious, all in due time. Trust me it will be worth the wait. Come, just a short trip and we'll be there." We're walking north towards Hogwarts from our location now. I'm taking in my surroundings. After venturing all over this past year, I have a pretty keen mental map of all the surrounding wizarding lands from Hogwarts. But I'm still not quite sure where he's leading me.

"Ah, here we are." Sebastian says, I follow his gaze in the distance and spot a quaint hut before us. It's near the Black Lake, with gardens surrounding bearing wild pumpkins. "This is the groundskeeper's hut. Abandoned at the moment." We stand there for a second as he's letting me examine it. "Let us go inside." He leads the way up to door, and I can't help but gasp as I see what's inside.